Habitat for Humanity Japan to Provide Solar Power to Tsunami-Affected Families
The first non-profit organization in Japan will be installing solar power panels to help support families that were affected by the 2011 tsunami. The project will be kicked off in a ceremony this Thursday, May 30.
On May 30, Habitats for Humanity’s first ‘Solar Home Recovery Project’ in Japan will begin with a solar panel being attached to the roof of the Hazawa family house, where the residents were left with a severely damaged home and no livelihood. The solar panel will help the family save money on utility expenses and generate income by selling excess electricity to their regional utility provider through Japan's new 'feed-in-tariff' (FIT) rebate scheme.
Habitat for Humanity is the first non-profit organization in Japan to offer this opportunity to individual households. Supported by Hilti, with tools and a financial donation, the first phase of the pilot project will support an initial 13 families in Ofunato to mount solar panels to their roofs. Benefitting families have been selected on the basis of need, with a particular focus on supporting families with severely disabled members.
The project will have a second phase in which solar panels will be fitted to community centers and the income generated will be used to fund revitalization ventures in the area.